Embroidering machine



Feb. 3, 1931. w. MYERS 1,791,321

.EMBROIDERING MACHINE v Filed Jan. 26. 1928 2 sheetsrsheot 1 NVENTOR m it izlter y yem' WITNES s Q F a ATTORNEY Feb. 3, 1931. w. MYERS 1,791,321

EMBROIDERING MACHINE I Filed Jan. 26. 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR IVa/fer 11/ em WITNESS ZY l a ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 3, 1931 UNHE, sraas WALTER MYERS, F BRIIDG'EPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE SINGERTMAN'U- FACTURING COIVIPANY, 0F ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY EMBROIDEB-ING MACHINE Application filed January 26, 1928. Serial No. 249,506.

This invention relates to improvements in sewing machines for embroidering and more especially to embroidering machines of the type having a universal work-feeding mechanism directionally controllable manually during the operation of the machine as exemplified, for instance, by the disclosure, in my prior Patent No. 1,325,038, Dec. 16, 1919.

The present invention has for its primary 1o object to adapt universal-feed embroidering machines for conveniently sewing or embroidering any portion of work of large sizes, such as carpets or rugs.

More specifically, this invention has for an object to improve the feeding mechanism of universal-feed embroidering machines, whereby a selected stitch-length will be uniform throughout aseam regardless of changes in the direction of the seam. A further object of the invention is to provide improved feed-direction and stop-motion, controlling means. A still further object of the invention is to provide a universal-feed 'embroidering machine free of projecting parts below the machine bed, whereby the machine may be more conveniently handled and transported.

To the attainment of the objects of the invention, the machine is constructed with a cloth-plate and overhanging bracket-arm sufficiently long to conveniently accommodate wide work, such as rugs, etc. The reciprocatory looper-operating shaft, usually employed in the chain-stitch type of universalfeed embroidering machines, is actuated by w 513 means of a bell-crank lever, which inthe present instance is fulcrumed above the clothplate of the machine and preferably within the bracket-arm standard, whereby said lever is disposed entirely within the machineframe outline.

A hand-crank is provided upon a short, vertical shaft journaled in the machine bracketarm adjacent its head, which hand-crank controlled shaft is directly geared to the feeddirection controlling shaft journaled in said bracket-arm, in order to manually control the direction of feed. To also manually control the operation of the machine, the hand-crank is operable to control a stop-motion device through connecting mechanism housed within the machine bracket-arm, means being'provided for conveniently locking a part of said mechanism in position to permit continuous operation of the machine without requiring theusual control by the hand-crank.

For the purpose of obtaining a selected, uniform length for the stitches of a seam, regardless of the seam direction, the usual feedlever actuating cam is made angularly adjustable about a center coinciding substantially with the point of engagement of the feed-lever with its actuating cam at'the beginning of the feed-actuatingmovement of said cam. By means of this construction, the feeding-foot occupiesa constant position with respect to the needle at the beginning of the feeding movement and will therefore have a uniform extent of work-feeding movement, in accordance with the adjusted position of the actuating cam, and this regardless of the direction of feed. The work-plate 0f the machine surrounding the needle-aperture therein is dished andhas a center of curvature corresponding to the point of intersectionof the transverse pivotal axes of the feedingfoot carrying bar, whereby the feeding-foot uniformly engages the work throughout feeding movements in any direction and has no tendency to either distort or full the work by reason of the pivotal axes of the feedfbar.

In the accompanying drawings, l is a front side view in elevation and partly in section of a machine containing the present improvements, the bracket-arm cover-plate being removed. Fig. 2 is a front end elevation of the machine bracket-arm head and bed-plate, the feedingfoot being partly broken away. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the device employed for yieldingly holding the needle-actuating shaft of the machine in inoperative position. Fig. 4 comprises perspective views of the feed-finger actuating cam and its support,

Referring to the drawmgs, the sewing machine is constructed with a cloth or bed-plate 1,.from which rises the vertical standard 2 of the overhanging bracket-arm 3, terminating in the head 4 to which is suitably secured the supporting frame 5.

Journaled in a suitable bearing provided in the standard 2 is a short actuating shaft 6 carrying at its outer end the combined balance-wheel and belt-pulley 7. The shaft 6 is axis, in bearings provided in the supporting frame 5, is a cylinder 10 within the upper end of which is splined a short, hollow needle-bar 11 partaking of any rotations of the cylinder and capable of vertical reciprocations with respect to said cylinder. Secured within the needle-bar by a set-screw 12 is ahook-needle 13,'the needle-bar 11 being operativelyconnect-ed with a driver 14; vertically reciprocated in the usual manner from the shaft 9.

Cooperating with the needle 13' below the cloth-plate, in the formation of either chainor drop-stitches, is a vertical axis loopcr 15 upon the upper end of a shaft suitably journaled upon themachineframe and having a spiral-gear 16 in mesh with a spiral driving- .gear 17 upon the forward end of a rotary and endwise-reciprocatory shaft 18. The spiralgear 17 is adjustably secured upon the shaft 18 so that it may be shifted upon said shaft to partially rotate the looper with respect to the needle according to'whether it isdesired to produce chainor drop-stitches. To con- -veniently and accurately effect this adjust ment, the spiral-gear 17 is formed at one end with an internally recessedhead. 19 receiving a. coil-sprinr.20,'which acts in a direction to yieldin glyseat upon a pin 21, providedupon the shaft 18, the selected one of two notches, .as'22, at the opposlte ends of a slot 23, formed in the head 19 which slot is of suliicicnt .width to permit passage of the pin21. It will 17-upon the shaft 18 in adirection to compress the spring 20 said. gear. lizmay-be rotated upon the shaft 18 so that the selected one of the two notches 22 may be caused to engage the pin 21. Consequently the spiral-gear 17 may be locked to the shaft 18 in either of the positions defined by the notches 22, which notches are properly spaced to obtain the desired looper positions for producing either drop or chain-stitches.

The looper-actuating shaft 18 is journaled for rotary and endwise reciprocatory movements in bearings provided in brackets 24, 25 depending from the cloth-plate 1, the shaft 18 adjacent its rearwardend bein ilined to the. hub 26 of a bevel-gear 27 ourn led for rotation in a bearing-aperture in the bracket 25. The hub 26 is held against endwise m vement with respect to said bracket 25 by means the coupling-pin 39 disengaged from the colard2. Adjustably connected to the arm e3 disposed transversely of the length of the shaft 18. The other arm 31 of the bell-crank lever is suitably connected with the lower end of a pitman 32 provided at its upper end with a strap 33 embracing an eccentric 34 having a hub 35 fixed upon the shaft 9. It will therefore be evident that when the shaft 9 is rotated, the shaft 18, through the described connections with the eccentric 34, derives endwise re'ciprocatory movements whereby the looper 15 is oscillated about its vertical axis to position the needle-thread for engagement by the "hook of the needle in the usual manner.

The hub 35 of the eccentric 34 is embraced by the correspondingly recessed flange 36 of a cam-sleeve 37, provided with a camgroove '38 and slidingly mount-ed upon the shaft 9. PrO ecting from the flange 36 is. a coupling pin 39, slidable endwise through an aperture provided in the-eccentric34: and adapted to enter an aperture ina coupling-collar 10 fixed upon the shaft 6. -Bearingagainst the camsleeve 37 is .acoil-spring 41, surrounding the shaft 9- and interposed between said cam-sleeve and collar42 fixed upon the shaft-9. .Whenpermitted, the spring acts to cause coupling engagementof. the pin 39 with the collar 40 whereby the shaft "9 i joined to the shaft 6 for rotation therewith.

-Means are provided for normally holding lar 40, for which purpose the cam-groove 38 is entered by a roller carried by thefree end of a vibratory-M11143; pivotally supported upon the machine frame within the stand- I by means of fillBCCGIltllC studl,.1s one end of a connecting-Everet disposed within the brackeharm 3 and formed intermediateits ends with an elongated slot 46 to provide guide walls slidable upon a fulcrum-block 47, pivotally secured bymeansof a screw 4L8 to the machine frame. The other end of the leverisshouldered to provide a dependheld against movement to the right. The arm 43 being held against movement to the right, it will be evident that upon further rotation of the shaft 9, the cam-sleeve 37'will be shifted tothe left upon the shaft 9, against the action of the spring ll, which has the effect of withdrawing the coupling-pin 39 from the aperture in the collar 40. The shaft 9 thus disconnected from its driving power end of the pin 74 would eventually come to rest.

However, means are provided for predetermining the stopping position of the shaft 9. By referring to Fig. 3 of the drawings, it will be observed that the periphery of the cam-sleeve flange 36 is formed with a V- shaped stop-notch 54, which in the position occupied by the sleeve when uncoupled from its driver, is adapted tobe entered by the wedge-shaped end of a plunger-head 55. The plunger-head is slidingly supported for endwise movement within the bore of a tubular bracket 56 suitably secured in an aperture in the rear side of the standard 2, said plunger-head having a reduced extension 57, surrounded by a coil-spring 58 interposed between the plunger-head and an adjustable bushing 59 threaded into the bracket 56. The inward movement of the plunger under the action of the spring 58 is adjustably limited by a nut 60 threaded upon the outer end of the plunger-extension 57 and engaging the head of the bushing 59. The adjustment provided by the eccentric stud 44 affords means for slightly altering the timing to insure entrance of the flange notch 54 by the plunger 55.

In order to rotate the cylinder 10 undermanual control, there is secured upon said cylinder a bevel-gear 61 in mesh with a similar gear 62 upon the forward end of a feeddirection controlling shaft 63 journaled for rotation in bearings provided in the bracketarm 3. Intermediate its ends, there is secured upon the shaft 63 a bevel-gear 64 meshing with a like gear 65 secured upon the upper end of a tubular shaft 66 projecting within the bracket-arm 3. The tubular shaft 66 is journaled for rotation about a vertical axis in a bearing provided by a boss 67 depending from the bracket-arm 3. Secured upon the end of the shaft 66 projecting below the boss 67, is a crank-arm 68 carrying a crank-handle 69, which as usual in machines of this type is capable of slight movement in a direction at right angles and with respect to the crank-arm 68. The crank-handle 69 has a peripheral groove 70 operatively engaging one arm of a lever71 fulcrumed intermediate its ends upon the crank-arm 68. Engaged by the flattened end 73 of the other arm of the lever 71 is a pin 74 slidingly disposed within the tubular-shaft 66, the upper being positioned to engage the depending end 75 of the lever 51. It is apparent that a downward movement of the crank-handle 69 effected manually, causes a rocking movement of the lever 51, against the action of the spring 53, to release the connecting lever 45 and thereby permit the spring 41 to effect in due course the coupling of the shafts 6 and 9.

Heretofore in machines of this type, when the nature of the work was such as to permit of continuous stitching, certain of the parts of the stop-motion controlling mechanism were removed from the machine so as to ob: viate the requirement for the operator to maintain the shafts 6 and 9 coupled by means of the crank-handle 69. To in a simple manner provide for contingencies of this character, a screw 72 is threaded into the hub of the crank-arm 68 in a position such that it may be caused to engage and secure the pin 74. Therefore, when the pin 74' is elevated to disconnect the stop-motion controlling levers 45, 51, it may readily be secured in its raised position by means of the screw 72.

The rearward end of the feed-direction controlling shaft 63 is geared to the upper end of a vertical shaft 76, journaled for rotation in bearings provided in the standard 2 and carrying at its lower end a bevel-gear 77 meshing with the bevel-gear 27, which as before described is splined to the looperactuating shaft 18.. It will therefore be understood that upon manual actuation of the crankhandle 69 to rotate thesame about the axis of the shaft 66, the described connections with said shaft 66 will effect rotation of the cylinder 10 and of the needle carrying bar 11 splined thereto, as well as rotation of the looper in correspondence with the resultant positions of the needle.

The feeding mechanism of this machine,

with the exception of the present improved feed-length adjusting mechanism, is substantially as disclosed in greater detail in my prior, Patent No. 1,325,033 before referred to. In general, the feeding mechanism includes a feeding-foot or -rin.g 78 which is detachably secured upon the lower end of a feed-bar 79 supported at its upper end for universal movement about transverse pivotal axes. -For this purpose, the upper end of the feed-bar 79 is bifurcated to providethe spaced arms 80, disposed at opposite sides of the cylinder 10 and which are plvotally secured by screws, as 81, upon the arms of a bifurcated fulcrumpin 82, the pivotal axis afforded by the screws 81 preferably intersecting the axis of rotation of the cylinder 10. Thepivot-pin 82 is journaled 1n a bearing provided by a bracket 83 to permit of swinging movements of the feed-bar 79 upon an axis transverse to the pivotal axis afforded by the screws 81-, said bracket 83 being confined to vertical reciprocatory movements upon the supportingframe 5. The bracket 83 projects laterally from a vertically reciprocatory sleeve 84, which is raised by the usual operative connections with a feed-lift-cam 85 upon the forward end of the shaft 9 and is lowered by a spring (not shown) housed within the sleeve 84. It is preferred to employ an eccentric fulcrum-stud 86 for the feed-lift lever 87 which is actuated by the cam 85, whereby the lift of the feeding-foot may be slightly adjusted. f i

The work advancing movements of the feeding-toot 78 are derived from a cam 88 upon the shaft 9, which cam actuates a lever 9 adapted to engage a lug 90, projecting irom a vertically sliding sleeve 91 ano e2;- tonding through a slot in the frame 5. The lever 89 operates to lower the sleeve 91 against the action of a spring 9:2 housed witl in the sleeve, said spring being interposed between an adjustable bushing 93 threaded into the up r end of the sleeve and the up} er end 01 a stripper-toot bar 94 constituting a guiding support for the lower end of the sleeve 91. Projecting laterally from the sleeve 91 is a forked arm 95 embracing and sustaining a grooved collar 96 having a slid ing lit upon the cylinder 10. In thepresent instance, the collar 96 is formed integral with a fulcrum block 97 provided with a trans verse aperture 98 for the reception of a pin 99 suit-ably secured to said block by a screw 100. The fulcrum-block 97 is provided in its opposite flat sides with arcuate guideways 101 (only one of which is shown) for guide ribs 102 (only one of which is shown) formed on the inner surfaces of the spaced arms 103 of a feed-finger actuating cam-member 1041. The spaced arms 103 are further provided with arcuate slots 105 which are entered by the pin 99 upon the ends of which arethreaded nuts 106 serving to secure the cammember 10 1 in any position into which it may be adjusted about an axis constituting the center of curvature of the guide-ribs 102.

The cam-member 10s is provided withv a fiat-faced cam-groove 107 adapted to be en gaged by the end of a feed-lever 108, the point of engagement of said lever 108 with the camgroove 107 at the beginning of a work-feed ing movement of the feeding-foot constituting approximately the center of arcuate adjustment of the cam-member. The feed-lever 108 is itiilcruiiied between spaced ears formed upon a guide-block 109, suitably secured upon the cylinder 10 and adapted to guide a teed-collar 110 which is actuated in one direction by the teed-finger 108 and in the return direction by springs, as 111. The feedcollar 110 is embraced by a ring 112 projec from the teed-bar 79.

:10 crank embroidering machines of the i t type, it has been a common practice r ob in adjustments for varying the stitchis by providing variable lost-motion actuating connections for the teed-cam upon the cylinder 10. As a result, the teed-finger engaged the feed-camat different points of the length of the feed-cam groove at the be ginning of the feeding movement for eacl selected stitch-length. As consequently the feeding-toot did not occupy position concentric with the needle at the beginning of its feeding movement for the different extents of adjustment of the stitch-lengths, it is evident that changes in the direction of feed under manual control efiected diderent lengths of successive stitches. While this discrepancy was present, it was heretofore discounted in the prior smaller machines because of the relatively short stitch-lengths. To avoid this discrepancy in the present large machine, which makes relatively long stitches, the feed adjustment been changed described to insure a constant position of the feeding-toot with respect to the needle at the beginning of each feeding movement, regardless of the length of the stitches selected.

Alternating with the feeding-foot 78 in its worleengaging movements is a conical stripper-foot 113 which embraces the needle 13 and is formed with a reduced shank 11 1 secured within a sleeve 115 journaled for end wise reciprocatory movements in a bearinghoss 110 depending from the frame 5. Projeeting laterally from the upper end of the sleeve 115 is an arm 117, in the present instance integral with the bar 9 1 to the upper end of which bar is .ecured a screw-pin 118 projecting into a slot not shown) formed in the frame 5. In order to lift-the bar 94 against the action of the spring 92, the screwpin 118 is positioned to be engaged by a lever 119 actuated by the feed lift cam 85. The sleeve 115 is tubular to receive the lower end the cylinder 10, thereby constituting the direct journal-bearing of the lower end of said cylinder 10.

As is well known in machines of this class, the feeding-foot 78 comprises a ring of pointed teeth 120 of which all the points terminate in substantially a common horizontal plane. To insure greater uniformity in the feed of the work throughout the length of the work-feeding movement of said foot 78 and regardless of the direction of feed, the throatplae 121 ofthe machine is formed with an upper dished surface 122, having as a center of curvature the point oi intersection of the transverse pivotal axes of the feed-bar 79,

c u I when the feeding-foot is in engagement with the throat-plate. By means of this construction, the teeth of the feeding-toot all engage the work at the beginning of the feeding movement, regardless of the direction or" feed aand maintain their engagement with the wor throughout the feed stroke thereby 0bviating any stretching or fulling action particularly when acting upon thin or flimsy materials.

without constant manipulation of the crank- 1 handle 69 for this purpose. It will be ob served that the location of the stop-motion actuating connections within the bracket-arm 3, instead of in the standard 2 as heretofore, afiords sufficient clearance Within said standard for the fulcrum of the bell-crank lever 29, 31, whereby the free end of the arm 29 of said lever describes a path of movement above the lowest portion of the machine-bed, instead of projecting below the bed as in prior machines. The described adjustment for changing the stitch-length is such as to maintain any selected stitch-length uniform when feeding in difierent directions, while the dished throat-plate obviates stretching and fulling of flimsy materials.

Novel features of construction of the stopmotion device disclosed but not claimed here in form thesubject of my divisional patent application Serial No. 309,143, filed September 29, 1928.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention, what I claim herein is 1. In a universal-feed sewing machine, a. cloth-plate, a bracket-arm overhanging the cloth-plate, stitch-forming mechanism, workfeeding mechanism including a feeding-foot adapted to receive work-advancing movements in different directions, actuating means for said stitch-forming and work-feeding mechanism, a stop-motion device embodied in the machine for determining the operation of said stitch-forming and work-feeding mechanisms, and a manually operable member upon said bracket-arm for controlling the direction of feed of the work and the operation of said stop-motion device.

2. In a universal-feed embroidering machine, stitch-forming mechanism including a reciprocatory needle, a feeding-foot having Work-feeding movements in dilferent directions substantially transverseto the path of reciprocation of the needle, a feeding-foot carrying bar, a universal pivotal support for said feed-bar, and a dished work-support within the range of movement of the feedingfoot, said dished work-support having its center of curvature substantially in the pivotal axis of the feed-bar in the work-support engaging position of said foot.

3. In a sewing machine, a reciprocatory needle, a feeding-foot, a feeding-foot carrying bar, a pivotal support for said bar, and a curved work-support opposed to said feeding-foot, the center of curvature of said ciprocating said cam-member, operative connections between said cam-member and the feeding-foot to impart the work-advancing movements to said feeding-foot, and means permitting adjustment of said cam-member I to vary the extent of the work-advancing movements of the feeding-foot from a constant initial position of said foot.

5. In a sewing machine, in combination, stitch-forming mechanism, a feeding foot, an actuating shaft, a cam-member deriving right line reciprocato-ry movements from said shaft, means for imparting work-advancing movements to the feeding-foot from said cam-member, and mean-s for tilting said cammember with respect to its path of reciprocation to thereby vary the extent of workadvancing movements of the feeding-foot.

6. In a universal-feed sewing machine, in combination, stitch-forming mechanism including a vertically reciprocatory needle-bar, a feeding-foot, a reciprocatory cam-member, a feeding-foot actuating lever operatively engaged by said cam-member, and means permitting adjustment of said cam-member about an axis which is approximately coincident with the point of engagement of said feed-lever with the cam-member at the beginning of the work-advancing movement of said feeding-foot.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

WALTER MYERS.

work-support coinciding substantially with the pivotal axis of said feed-bar in the work-- support engaging position of said feedingfoot.

4. In a universal-feed sewing machine, in

combination, stitch-forming mechanism 1n-- cluding a vertically reciprocatory needle-bar, a feeding-foot adapted to receive workadvancing movements in different directions, a reciprocatory cam-member, means for re- 

